The Window
by Morivanim
Summary: Spencer has lived in his tiny apartment for years without looking out his window, but now it's all he can think about.
1. The Window

It was a calm Saturday afternoon, and Spencer Reid was fully enjoying himself. He was sitting in his apartment, feet up on his couch reading a new book on theoretical physics, as the spring breeze blew in through his wide open window. It was his idea of a perfect afternoon.

He was deep into his book when suddenly his concentration started to falter as a loud noise interrupted the peace in his living room. Looking around he knew nothing in his home was making that noise so he looked for an outside source. Putting down his book he walked to the window and looked out. He instantly spotted the origin of the noise. For years when Spencer looked out his living room window he would look across the alley and see a drawn pair of curtains, covering the two closed windows of his neighbors' own living room from him, but today there was something different. The curtains were gone and one of the windows was wide open, an old stereo sitting next to it blaring music. Spencer normally would have simply closed his window in an attempt to muffle the sound but the other window caught his attention, in it stood a girl roughly his age, dancing as she painted the panes of glass in the window.

It was an odd sight to say the least and Spencer soon found himself staring as the girl did a twirl then quickly went back to painting, still moving her hips in time with the music. When he realized that he was staring he went to tear his eyes away but it was too late, the girl had already seen him. Expecting her to throw him a look of disgust and possibly scream at him from the other window he was shocked to see her smile and wave.

Purely out of habit Spencer waved back.

The girl quickly dipped her paintbrush back into her paints and on a free spot of her window began to write backwards.

Though it was backwards to her, Spencer could read it clearly. '_Sorry, is the music too loud?'_

Spencer momentarily wondered why she didn't just ask out loud before registering the actual distance between their apartments. In order for him to hear her she would have had to yell, nearly at the top of her lungs.

Spencer just shook his head.

The girl just smiled at him and went back to her work.

Forgetting to shut the window Spencer went back to his couch to read. He noticed the volume of the music went down, blending in as background noise, along with the cars and the breeze.

Spencer was in the kitchen cooking dinner when the music stopped all together. Always curious he went over to his window. The girl was gone and both of the windows were now closed. At some point the girl had switched windows. The one she had been working on was covered in a bad copy of a Van Gogh, the other had flowers at the bottom and at the top surrounded by a painted frame it read _'It was nice to meet you'._

Spencer gave the windows a curious look before heading back into his kitchen to finish making his dinner.


	2. Hi

The next morning Spencer woke up and made himself some coffee. Walking into his living room he noticed the sun shining brightly into his apartment. It was another beautiful day. He walked over to his window and opened it. As he did, he inadvertently looked up and over to his new neighbor's window. The message from last night was gone and a new one was in its place.

'_Good Morning!" _he read.

Spencer looked at the message curiously and gave it a small half smile, before going back to his coffee and morning paper.

It was once again the afternoon when music began to float in through Spencer's window. He was fairly certain where it was coming from, but his curious nature told him to go look, and so he did. He was right, the music was coming from the open Van Gogh window across the alley, only this time there was no dancing girl in the window. He started to turn back around when the girl walked into view, a plate in her hand. The girl placed the plate onto the table and looked up, right at Spencer.

He could feel himself blush at being caught twice now, looking out his window and into her home. Once again she surprised him by simply smiling and waving.

Spencer waved back and the girl approached her closed window. She picked up a rag and quickly wiped away her '_Good Morning' _and started to replace it.

'_Hi' _She stood as if expecting an answer.

Spencer just waved again.

The girl smiled and seemed to laugh to herself. She once again wiped away her message.

'_You don't say much do you?'_

Spencer opened his mouth the respond before once again realizing that he would have to scream to be heard. He looked around himself quickly and spotted a piece of paper and a pen on the desk next to him. He quickly scribbled down a response and held it to the window.

'_I'd have to yell for you to hear me'_

The girl wiped away her last message and wrote another.

'_I heard you just fine that time'_

Spencer looked at her as though she had two heads. He hadn't said anything, so how could she have possibly heard him. He then looked down at the paper in his hands. Cocking an eyebrow he flipped the paper over.

'_That's impossible, I didn't say anything' _

The girl rolled her eyes and wiped away her previous message.

'_Do you always take everything literally?_

'_Yes'_ Spencer wrote grabbing another piece of paper.

The girl looked as though she was laughing. She quickly switched her message before going back to her table.

'_Right'_ she had written next to a smiley face.

Spencer watched her for a few more moments before deciding that maybe he should get out of his apartment for a while. He closed his window and left for the park, thinking that playing a few games of chess might be nice for a little while.


	3. Rose

Monday morning dawned and Spencer woke up at his usual un-godly hour, showered made himself breakfast and coffee. He walked into his living room sat down in his favorite spot and opened the paper, taking a few minutes to relax before heading off to start his week of work.

While reading up on his current events Spencer couldn't help but notice his window sitting right at the edge of his peripheral vision. He knew it was far too early for anyone else to be awake, in fact most college students would just be heading to bed, but still he got up just to take a peek at his neighbor's window.

He was shocked.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who got up at unholy hours.

'_Dear Monday, Please go away.'_ He read. The request was written just above the picture of a small stick figure with Zs floating above its head.

The initial shock was thrown off as he rationalized that she had probably just changed it before going to sleep. Turning around Spencer looked at the clock hanging on his wall and saw that he had to go now if he was going to make it to work on time.

It was a thankfully uneventful day at work, some paperwork, a few consults and he was done for the day.

He opened the door to his apartment and threw his stuff by the door. Looking up his eye line went right to the window where the message for the day was currently being changed. He wasn't entirely sure why but he felt as though he should say hello, so he walked to his desk, picked up a piece of paper and wrote on it.

He held up his sign and immediately felt stupid, how exactly was she supposed to know that he was standing there. He was just about to put the sign back down and walk away when he saw her smile, and wipe away whatever it was she had been in the process of writing.

'_Hello again Mr. Literal.'_

The nickname should have offended him on some level, but the smile on her face let him know it was all in good fun.

Quickly he scribbled another note.

'_That's Dr. Literal, thank you very much'_

He watched as her face took on an impressed look and an apologetic tilt before she erased the M and replaced it with a D.

Spencer found himself nodding in acceptance of the change. He saw her laugh and wipe away her message.

'_So is that MD or PHD?" _was the next message.

Spencer had to grab another piece of paper to answer._ 'PHD'_

'_I figured, an MD would still be working.'_ She replied.

Spencer wanted to inform her of how her statement was incorrect, and that in fact at that moment a good proportion of doctors were not working thanks to their shift schedules, but that would take too much time and too much paper, so he settled for asking a question of his own.

'_What's your name?'_

She erased her earlier message but seemed to think before answering, an action that Spencer found odd. But before he could think too long on it she had another message for him.

'_Romeo and Juliet ( II, ii, 1-2)'_

She had probably expected him to run off and look it up or ask her what that line was, but Spencer simply wrote got another piece of paper.

'_What's in a name? That which we call a rose…"_ he would have continued the quote but again it would have taken too much paper and too much time, so he had settled. It was enough to make the girl's eyebrows raise for a moment, but only a moment, the quote was well known so it was only mildly impressive that he had known it immediately.

'_You know The Bard well'_ the girl wrote and Spencer gave a small smirk, he didn't just know him well he knew every word.

The girl suddenly looked behind her and turning back quickly held up a finger, asking him to wait. She ran to the other end of her living room and spoke to the wall for a minute before coming back to the window and hurriedly scribbling.

'_I have to go, but it was nice seeing you again.'_

Spencer nodded and waved and then she was rushing out the door.

Coming back to reality Spencer took the papers he had written on and put them in the trash before walking to his kitchen, only just noticing his stomach's incessant growling.


	4. SmartyPants

Tuesday morning was much the same as Monday, after coffee and breakfast Spencer found himself curious and had peered out the window. There was again a new message on the window.

' "_Never retreat! Never explain! Get it done and let them howl!" '_

The flowers at the bottom of the window were replaced with a picture of a wolf howling at the moon.

Spencer found he couldn't help himself, he dug through his desk and found a small roll of tape. He jotted down a message on a piece of paper and hung it on his window before heading off for work.

'_Benjamin Jowett' _

Morgan and Prentiss were squabbling over something, Spencer wasn't really paying attention to what it was, he didn't really care. But when Morgan's next point of argument began with "I highly doubt…" he found himself unable to keep from muttering under his breath.

"What was that?" Morgan asked turning to Spencer, who had unfortunately not been as quiet as had hoped he was.

Spencer cleared his throat and repeated himself. "Doubt comes in at the window when inquiry is denied at the door"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Morgan asked.

"It's just a quote." Spencer said. He hadn't meant anything by it was simply what had come to him when he heard the word doubt.

"Never heard it before" Morgan said, "Who's it by?"

"Benjamin Jowett." Spencer told him.

"Never heard of him."

"He was a 19th century English theologian who..."

Any more of his explanation was cut short as Hotchner called them into the conference room.

The day had been long and grueling but finally it was over. Spencer flopped down on his couch as soon as he could reach it. He groaned rubbed at his neck. While rolling his neck back and forth trying to force some of the stiffness out he caught sight of the paper hanging from his window. He had forgotten it was there. So with another groan he stood up walked to the window and pulled the paper down.

'_Alright Smarty Pants how about this one "__We must laugh before we are happy, for fear of dying without having laughed at all." '_

Spencer thought for a moment before getting another piece of paper and tape.

'_Jean de la Bruyere' _ He taped the answer up before tiredly walking to his bedroom and falling into a deep sleep.

When he woke up in the morning Spencer grabbed his coffee cup and walked to the window. There was no pretense of curiosity this morning. He knew there would be a new message and wondered what it would be.

' "_The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination"~ Albert Einstein. If you're really as smart as you seem then draw me a picture.'_

Spencer's eyebrows shot up to his hair line. He was shocked by the request, but still he turned to his desk and picked up a pen with every intention of fulfilling the request. It was only when he went to put the pen to paper that he realized he didn't know what to draw. He sat there thinking of things to draw but nothing seemed right. It was only when he glanced at the clock only to realize that he would be late to work that he quickly scribbled on the paper before running out the door.

'_I concede' _sat in the window facing out from Spencer's apartment.

For the rest of the day Spencer had been distracted. In between each report he filled out he found himself googling art, and attempting to recreate it. His strange behavior did not go unnoticed.

"What is that supposed to be?"

Spencer jumped and tried to cover his latest failed copy, "it's nothing" he tried to tell Derek, who quickly snapped up the drawing.

Derek looked at the drawing and then back at Spencer, "Please tell me you're not considering a career as an artist." He said with a smile.

Spencer blushed and grabbed the paper back. "No, it's just a hobby." He said staring down at his desk.

Derek shook his head, "Yeah well just don't quit your day job." He said chuckling to himself as he went back to his desk.

Spencer immediately threw the paper into the trash and turned back to his computer. Every now and then though, he'd find himself doodling on a loose sheet of paper.


	5. Stars

When Spencer got home he looked to his window and saw the paper he had hung that morning still sitting in its place on the window. He would have gone over ripped it down and read the gloating message across the way but after his constant teasing from Morgan about being an artist he wasn't particularly interested in being gloated at, so he made himself dinner, tidied up his apartment, read a book, and generally tried to keep his mid from wandering to that stupid window.

When he could no longer find anything to occupy him, he gave in to his curiosity and took down his sign. He was surprised. He had expected a mocking quote along with a picture but the only thing even slightly mocking was a smiley face that had its tongue sticking out.

'_Come on, you didn't even try!"_

Spencer read the message a few times. If all she wanted was a simple try then, why not? After all he had been trying all day. Spencer sat down at his desk and pulled a piece of paper and a pen towards himself.

His picture ended up looking like a child's drawing, a simple house on a hill with a tree. He had attempted a dog but in the end the dog became a large black bush. With his picture finished he got a piece of tape and went to place the picture in the window.

After putting the picture on the window he looked up and saw the girl sitting at a table. It was almost as if an alarm had gone off to let her know that he was there. Almost as soon as it had registered that she was there she was looking through the window back at him.

Smiling she got up and walked to the window.

_ 'Now that wasn't so hard was it?'_

Quickly Spencer got another piece of paper and wrote back.

_ 'Please, this took me all day.'_

He watched as she laughed. She probably thought he was joking, but he wasn't about to correct her.

'_Good, after all" Art is the proper task of life!"'_

_ 'Nietzsche' _Spencer responded _'You really like reading.'_

_ 'I don't like it. I love it.'_

Spencer smiled, _'What's your favorite book?'_

_ 'I could sooner choose my favorite star in the sky!'_ He watched as the girl feigned insult, being overly dramatic so that he could clearly see.

_'Arcturus is my favorite.'_ Spencer told her.

_'Why?'_

If Spencer was shocked that she had heard of the star he didn't show it.

_'It's the brightest star in the Northern celestial hemisphere.' _ He told her, watching as she nodded her approval at his answer.

The girl held up her finger to ask him to wait, and Spencer was sure that he would see her run across the room and speak into the intercom as she had done before, but she didn't. Instead she got a chair from behind her and placed it at the window. Once she had situated herself she began to write again.

_ 'I have always been partial to Rigel.'_ She admitted.

_'Why?' _Spencer asked before mirroring her and grabbing his own chair while she wrote.

_ 'It marks the spot where Orion was stung by the scorpion.'_

Spencer smiled at the answer. _'Most people don't know that part of the story.'_

_ 'Most people don't talk with their neighbors through widow writings either.'_

Spencer found himself chuckling, she had a point there.

_'Touché'_

The girl smiled, _'So Dr. What's your favorite myth?'_

Spencer and the girl spent the rest of their night parked in front of their respective windows writing back and forth until the darkness took away their ability to read across the distance. That night Spencer went to sleep and dreamed about the stars.


	6. Buzzing

The next morning dawned and Spencer began his new routine, he got his coffee put his toast in the toaster and went to read his morning message.

'"_Between two evils I always pick the one I never tried before"'_

Spencer smiled, "Mae West" he said to himself. She hadn't been lying, Rose, as he had taken to calling the girl across the way, loved reading, and had an almost encyclopedic memory of every quote ever said. He put down his coffee mug just long enough to write a quote of his own to put in the window.

'"_Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect"'_

Spencer picked his coffee cup back up and began to walk back to the kitchen to get his breakfast when he felt a sharp pain on his foot. Looking down he saw a pile of paper. Spencer sat down in the chair that was still in front of the window and examined his foot. There was a large paper cut on the side. Looking back down at the mass of paper Spencer realized that each sheet was written on front and back, all a product of his conversation from the night before. He decided that it might be a good idea to get some of those markers that Rose used, as he cursed his way to the bathroom for

At lunch that day Spencer managed to sneak off to a small crafts store down the block, dodging lunch offers , by claiming he had errands to run. The woman who owned the shop had been very helpful in getting him what he was looking for, giving him enough time to stop at vendor for lunch before heading back to the BAU.

Spencer hid the bag underneath his messenger bag quickly when he got back, hoping that no one would notice it, and that those who did wouldn't care enough to ask. Unfortunately neither of these things happened.

Garcia had stopped by to talk to Emily and immediately spotted the bag. Though she may not have been a profiler she had been around them long enough to realize that Spencer was intentionally hiding the bag and that that clearly meant there was something she needed to know.

"What's in the bag?" She asked, trying to be polite. But when Spencer wouldn't willingly give up the information, trying to brush her off with a simple, "nothing, just something I had to pick up" she pulled a move that she must have stolen from Derek and swiped his bag, quickly examining its contents.

"Window Markers?" She questioned.

Spencer grabbed the bag back.

"What do you need Window Markers for?" Penelope asked as Spencer shoved his belonging into his messenger bag.

"Just a project." He told her hoping she would be satisfied and leave.

"What project." She asked.

Spencer sighed, "A home project."

Penelope gave him a strange look but left the conversation where it was, leaving the bull pen and going back to her office. Spencer wouldn't say more than a few words to anyone the rest of the day.

When Spencer got home he went straight to his window. He got out the new markers he had bought and drew a small circle. He added dots and a curved line, making his very first smiley face for Rose. Spencer liked the way the marker looked on the window and before he knew what he was doing he was doodling away with his markers. His smiley face soon became a stick figure man with a cape, in front of him was a table with a top hat, and in his hand was a lopsided and badly disfigured rabbit.

Spencer looked up from his drawing and was met with Rose's amused face.

'_I see you got some new markers'_

Spencer turned red, but responded._ 'Yeah, they're a lot of fun.'_

'_I know'_ She replied smiling.

Spencer thought for a moment, _'Are you an artist?' _ he asked. During their long conversation the night before Spencer had attempted to learn more about Rose, but aside from her favorite star being Rigel, her favorite myth being that of Persephone, that she didn't speak French and that they had a shared hatred of spinach, she hadn't told him much. At one point he had asked for her name again, and again she gave him the same Shakespeare quote. When he had asked her what she did for a living, she had told him to guess, and unless she had lied to him, she was not a librarian, a student, a historian, or an English teacher.

_'Nope, but it's not a bad idea, maybe one day.'_

Spencer went to write another question but he was interrupted by a buzz coming from over by the door. _'One minute' _he wrote while holding up a finger.

He walked over to the intercom by the door and pressed the talk button.

"Hello?"

"Hey hot stuff." Came the reply.

"Garcia?" he asked.

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Let me up and I'll tell you."

"Oh, right." Spencer stammered before pressing the button to let her into the building. He rubbed the back of his neck wondering what she could possibly be visiting him for, when he remembered the mirror. Spencer rushed across the room, nearly tripping over the couch.

'_I can't talk right now.'_ He scribbled as he grabbed a paper towel and began to wipe away the rest of the marker from his window.

'_Going somewhere?'_ She asked.

Spencer responded as quickly as possible, _'No I just can't talk.' _ He finished the last letter just as there was a knock on his door. He looked to the door quickly for a second before wiping his last message away and walking to the door.

"Hey," he said as he opened the door and let Penelope in.

"Hey, I'm here to help." She said.

Spencer was confused. "Help with what?"

"Your home project, clearly it involves being creative, not your strong suit, so I am here to help."

Spencer stood there, his brow furrowed as Penelope put her things down and looked around his place. She turned and gave him an expectant look, and suddenly it hit him, the lie he had told her earlier.

"Oh that, yeah thanks but I don't really need any help." He told her.

"You don't?" She asked skeptically.

"No, the project is actually at a friend's place, they just needed me to pick those things up for them." He said.

"Spencer you know you're a terrible liar right?" Penelope asked crossing her arms in front of her. "I know there's no project".

"Yes, there is" he stuttered.

"No there's not. So what's her name?"

Spencer stared open mouthed. "Excuse me?"

"What's her name?"

"There's no her." He tried to tell her, making sure that he didn't let his eyes wander to the window, or the apartment beyond.

"Right" Penelope said sarcastically.

"Seriously Penelope, there's no one."

This time she seemed to almost believe him.

"Then what's with the doodling, the spacing out, hell Reid you even whistled yesterday. I have never heard you whistle."

"I've just been in a good mood." He said his eyes still wide, in near panic.

"That's all?"

"That's all."

"Okay then." Penelope said picking her bag up. "well since I'm already here, you're taking me out to dinner."

Spencer sighed and shook his head. "This is really why you came over isn't it."

Penelope smiled widely, "Yup."

Spencer looked out the window, briefly thinking about writing to Rose and letting her know he was going before he realized how that would look.

"Alright, where am I taking you?" he asked opening the door to let her out, giving one last unnoticed glance out the window, before he closed the door behind him.


	7. Out

When Spencer got back from his dinner with Penelope, it was getting dark out. He had felt bad about leaving in the middle of his and Rose's conversation, so he went to write an apology, that he was sure she wouldn't see until morning.

He didn't even look up to check for her as he wrote.

'_Sorry I left in such a rush.' _ Once the message was composed he finally looked up. She was sitting at her table again, the hand he could see was fiddling with her earing as she looked intently at something on the table. He wanted so badly to tap on the glass and have her look up. He thought, momentarily, about tossing something small at her window, but dismissed that thought and after standing, waiting for her to turn her head and see him, gave up and went to read a bit before going to bed.

In the morning Spencer got up and got his coffee before heading to the window, for his morning message.

'_Don't worry about it. Your girlfriend's cute.' _The message was accompanied by a winking face.

Spencer picked up the marker on the window sill.

'_She's not my girlfriend.'_

It bothered him that she had thought Penelope was his girlfriend. Not that she wasn't attractive, or anything along those lines. He just wanted things to be clear.

It wasn't until half way through his work day that the thought hit him that Rose might have a boyfriend. He stopped for a moment at the thought. What did it matter if she had a boyfriend, they were nothing more than friends, acquaintances really. Just because she was an attractive girl that he got along with didn't mean there was anything more to it than that. In reality he knew nothing about her.

Though he rationalized it this way a thousand times in his head, he couldn't get that gnawing annoyed and slightly concerned feeling to go away.

"Hey Reid, is it alright if I crash at your place after tonight?" Morgan asked, breaking through Spencer's thoughts.

"After tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's Friday, we're all going out remember?" Morgan asked. Spencer quickly remembered and nodded. "I'm not planning on being sober enough to drive home so I was hoping I could crash on your couch."

"Yeah, no problem." Spencer told him.

"Thanks kid, see you at 8 then." Morgan said before packing his things and leaving for the night. Spencer finished up his last few files before leaving himself.

When he got home Spencer first went to change before he went to the window, knowing that if Rose was there, as she was most days now, that he would stand in front of it until he had to leave.

Spencer's assumption had been right, when he got to the window he saw Rose sitting at her table again, this time nodding her head as though she was listening to something. He read the message slowly, hoping that by the time he was done she would look up.

'_Shame, like I said she's cute.'_

Spencer picked up his marker. _'She's pretty fun too, but just a friend." _

By the time he finished writing Rose had looked up and was back standing at her window.

'_So you won't be running off with her again tonight?' _she asked.

Spencer could feel a blush creep up his neck. _'No, but I will be running off.'_

'_Where to?'_

'_A bar, maybe a club.'_

Spencer watched as her eyebrows shot up. _'You're wearing that to a club?'_

Spencer looked down, he was wearing his sneakers, jeans, a button down shirt and tie. Everything he normally wore out.

_'What's wrong with this?'_

_ 'Do you not own a t-shirt?'_

Spencer thought, he had the ones he slept in , which he was certain wouldn't be acceptable, they all had holes, other than that he had a Star Wars t-shirt and a tourist shirt from Jamaica, and he wasn't about to admit to owning either of those. _'Not really, no'_

Rose seemed to think for a moment. _'Take off the tie' _She told him.

Spencer complied with the command.

_'Good now unbutton the top two.'_

Spencer raised an eyebrow, but again did as he was told.

_'Better'_ Rose wrote, her head cocked to the side. _'Just don't have it tucked in.'_

Spencer started to blush again as he un-tucked his shirt, as Rose shook her head at him.

_' You going out tonight?' _Spencer asked, changing the focus of attention.

_'No, I'm staying in tonight, relaxing.'_ She gestured to herself and sure enough she had on pajamas.

Spencer looked at his watch, he had to leave.

_'I've got to go.'_

_ 'Have fun'_

Almost reluctantly Spencer waved goodbye, erased the message and left to go out with his friends.

Everyone was surprised when Spencer showed up, looking much like a man his age at a bar should. Morgan had teased him and Penelope had given him some suspicious glances as she and Emily had checked him out. One of their waitresses even gave him her phone number. All in all it had been the best night out he could remember.

When he finally got home, a drunken Derek Morgan , leaning on him for stability he wanted to run to the window and thank Rose for her fashion tips, but instead he simply dropped Derek on the couch put a glass of water next to him on the coffee table and went to his own bed and slept.


	8. WrongWay

The next morning Spencer was woken up by the smell of coffee floating in from the crack under his door. His eyes shot open at the smell. He hadn't made coffee yet. He began to reach for his gun that he kept in his bedside table before remembering that Derek had spent the night on his couch.

Calming down Spencer sat on the edge of his bed and stretched before heading out of his room. He headed straight toward the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. Derek had heard him come out of his room.

"Man you have one great view." Derek commented, in a rather suggestive tone.

Spencer's half-awake brain didn't quite understand the words, so he walked out to the living room where Derek was currently residing.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Your view, it's amazing."

Spencer saw Derek standing his head tilted, staring out his window. There was nothing spectacular about Spencer's view. The only thing his window looked out on was the next building over. It wasn't until Spencer had managed to find his way to standing next to Derek that Spencer realized what he was talking about.

Across the way, in a skin tight running outfit, stood Rose, stretching, headphones in place and mp3 player resting on her arm. Suddenly Spencer was wide awake.

"God Morgan!" Spencer shouted shoving the man's shoulder, as he went back to the kitchen.

"What?" Derek asked turning away from the window. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that."

"Enjoy peeping?" Spencer asked, pulling out a bowl and some cereal.

"It's not peeping if I happen to look out the window and see a beautiful woman." Derek said taking a seat at the small table in the kitchen.

"It is peeping if you stare at her ass." Spencer said leaning against the counter eating his cereal.

Derek raised his eyebrow at Spencer's word choice, but rather than question it he decided to tease his friend. "So you noticed it did you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Morgan!" Spencer admonished feeling his neck burn red as he blushed. Derek laughed and Spencer sighed. "Shouldn't you be nursing a hangover?" Spencer asked putting his empty bowl down.

Morgan snorted into his coffee.

Derek stayed through most of the morning as he and Spencer chatted and watched some TV before he had to leave.

When Derek was gone Spencer flopped back down on the couch, content to simply veg out for a few more hours. Though it worked for a while he eventually found himself looking over at the window. The first few times he looked there was nothing through the window. He had noticed that Rose hadn't left a message for him that morning, which he was thankful for when Derek was there. But now he kept hoping that he would see one appear.

The ninth time that Spencer looked over in the span of a half an hour, was a fruitful look. As he glanced over he saw movement in the window. He got up and moved to the window. Rose was writing on hers.

'_Did you have fun last night?'_ she asked, having seen him enter his own window.

Spencer picked up his marker. _'Yeah I did, thanks for the clothing advice.'_

Rose smiled, _'Any time.'_

_ 'How was your night in?'_

_ 'Uneventful. Watched TV, went to bed early'_

_ 'Sounds like fun.'_

_ 'Yeah. I saw you had a visitor this morning, let me guess, not your boyfriend?'_

Spencer's face immediately turned bright red. He had sincerely hoped and prayed that she hadn't seen Derek staring at her, but apparently she had.

_'Definitely not.'_ He told her, the embarrassment of her thinking he was gay, not having hit him just yet. He watched as she laughed to herself. _'Let me be clear, I am a straight single male.' _ Spencer said hoping to alleviate any more misunderstandings.

_'Glad to hear it' _She responded, still smiling, the occasional giggle leaving her lips.

Spencer rolled his eyes, still red in the face.

_'What about you? Any boyfriends or girlfriends?' _ He told himself he was only asking because it was fair, she knew about him, he should know about her, but he knew that there was an answer he wanted to hear.

_'Nope.'_

Spencer wasn't sure how to respond, so he just nodded.

_'I was going to get some coffee. Want to come?'_

Spencer read the sentence several times. He looked up at Rose and saw her waiting for an answer. Spencer wished their apartments were closer, so that he could get a better read on her expression, from what he could tell she simply looked curious.

Spencer felt his throat get tight and his palms begin to sweat. He had thought about meeting Rose in person, but only ever in passing. Spencer was not good at face to face interaction, anyone who knew him could attest to that fact. The panes of glass and the distance, gave him a pleasant buffer to be comfortable with their communication, he was sure that once those were gone and he was free to speak to Rose it would all go to hell, and he was currently enjoying this, whatever it was, they had going.

_'Can't.' _ He said. He didn't elaborate, didn't say it was because he was terrified of her blocking out the rest of that window once she found out how weird he really was.

_'Okay, Maybe some other time.'_ She didn't look disappointed, and didn't ask for an excuse. She simply waved goodbye and turned to leave her apartment.

As she left Spencer stood there looking into her now empty apartment. If he left now he could probably catch her. The nearest coffee shop was only a block from her apartment complex, he could tell her his plans had fallen through and he could meet her, have a real conversation, find out if her name was really Rose.

Spencer put on his shoes and headed for the door. He left his apartment complex and looked in the direction of the coffee shop. He thought he might have seen a familiar head of straight brown hair, before he started walking in the exact opposite direction.


End file.
